The jet-black Russian munition slammed into the Presidium building of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, an iconic Tsarist-era structure right in the center of Kyiv, setting the building on fire. Survivors climbed out of the windows and clambered onto the building's ledges, fleeing the flames and choking black smoke. Two people were killed in the attack. Around an hour later, an identical munition struck a private medical clinic a few blocks away. The Geran-5 jet-powered drone is Russia's

Key developments on Oct. 1: * Russian losses soar by 46% during 2026 * Russian drones strike Kyiv school, key bridge linking eastern, western banks of city * Russian drone strikes Kyiv nuclear institute housing research reactor * Ukrainian pilot dies after MiG-29 fighter shot down by Russian missile * 'Returning Russia's sick war to where it came from' — Ukraine marks Defenders Day Russian forces suffered an estimated 46,230 personnel losses in September, the highest monthly figure re

The Kyiv Independent’s new Companion Collection 🐾 brings together matching items for people and their pets while supporting animals rescued from Ukraine’s front-line communities.

On the night of Aug. 1, Olena Rozhniativska and her 18-year-old daughter Kateryna rushed to a bomb shelter as ballistic missiles tore into Kyiv during one of Russia's mass attacks. They were killed before they could hide in an underground shelter, along with five other people in Darnytskyi district that night. "I didn't even have time to get out of the bedroom before there was already this terrible explosion," recalls Raisa, a 70-year-old Darnytskyi resident who does not want to be identified.

Asked what the missile struck, Zelensky's communications advisor told the Kyiv Independent: "We're not telling."

Redvanovich, who was 25 years old, served as the commander of the "Ghost of Kyiv" 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade.

Russian-Israeli military journalist Sergey Auslender said on Oct. 1, citing his own source and noting that the information required further verification, that there had been an assassination attempt against Denys Shtilierman near Kyiv.

The strike, which occurred at around 6:18 p.m. local time on Sept. 30, sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished. No one was injured in the attack, according to a statement.

The town of Oleshky and the surrounding district in southern Kherson Oblast in Ukraine are under a total blockade imposed by Russian occupation forces. Since May 26, 2026, no humanitarian aid has reached Oleshky. Residents are hanging signs on their fences reading "no food, we're starving too," emaciated animals have disappeared from the streets, and a three-liter jar of preserved bread crusts has become, in the words of one resident, worth its "weight in gold." Reports of civilians eating we

The September figure surpassed previous summer highs of 42,860 in July and 42,020 in August.

The 60-year-old Farion was a prolific figure in Ukraine who devoted her life to popularizing and defending the Ukrainian language and culture. She was shot in the head near her home on July 19, 2024.

The attack took place at around 11:30 a.m. local time, as cars and a metro train continued to cross the bridge.

"Thank you to all our defenders who are working to return Russia's sick war to where it came from," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.

A U.K. government press statement describes the decision to facilitate Tokyo and Seoul's continued import of fossil fuels as "part of the U.K.'s work with international partners to support their transition away from Russian energy," without elaborating how.

Asked what is holding Ukraine back from EU membership, 32% cited corruption in central government bodies. Another 29% said the EU or some of its member states are unwilling to accept Ukraine.

The Air Force said Russia attacked Ukraine with 107 drones, including Shahed-type drones, Gerbera drones, and decoys. Sixty-three of the drones were jet-powered.

"Russia attacks Ukrainian ports, blocks Ukraine's grain exports, and then looks for new routes for its own grain," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on X. "Estonia will not provide one."

The number includes 1,900 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Kyiv fears that once Russia completes the satellite constellation, Moscow could use the network to obtain real-time information for strikes against Ukraine.

Ye, the controversial U.S. rapper formerly known as Kanye West, had been scheduled to play two shows in St. Petersburg in October —  which would have made him the biggest Western artist to perform in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Air raid sirens blared over Kyiv for over 20 hours on Sept. 30, one of the longest sustained attacks the capital has faced since the start of the full-scale war.

Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 188 drones and various missiles, according to Ukraine's air force.

Key developments on Sept. 30: * Russia uses drone with warhead designed to cut power pylons for first time, Zelensky adviser says * Drone crashes in Moldova, Romania scrambles fighter jets amid Russian mass attack on Ukraine * Missile alerts cost Ukraine $45 million for every hour businesses stop, economy minister says * Zelensky visits Lyman sector, says Operation Vivaldi reclaimed 125 square kilometers Russia has for the first time used a jet-powered drone equipped with a warhead designe

Editor's note: The Kyiv residents quoted in the story asked to be identified only by their first names. Russian drones have filled the skies over Kyiv, striking at the city around the clock, making it feel increasingly like there is nowhere safe to hide. The attacks once came in waves, followed by periods of relative calm. Now, Russian strikes are coming almost nonstop. Using newer jet-powered versions of Shahed-type drones, the onslaught began last month, but has increased in intensity each d

Four people were attempting to leave the town when they stepped on a mine and were injured, while a man collecting nuts was killed by another mine, the local military administration said.

The warhead was designed to destroy high-voltage pylons and steel bridges and contains a 40-kilogram main charge and four additional destructive modules, Serhii Beskrestnov said.

Ukrainian officials had looked for a reset with Budapest after Viktor Orban's defeat. Instead, Hungary's new prime minister, Peter Magyar, has taken a hard line of his own. After a promising start, Budapest is yet again stalling Kyiv's EU bid until Ukraine puts into effect earlier agreements on the rights of its roughly 80,000-strong Hungarian community. As the standoff has dragged on, Magyar has raised the stakes: he skipped the Ukraine-hosted Carpathian summit, traded barbs with Ukrainian of

According to Vyriy, the new Slavic drone has a tactical operating range of up to 30 kilometers, approximately twice that of a Chinese-made Mavic.

"Weapons factories in European countries that produce arms for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

In this interview, the Kyiv Independent’s Jimmy Rushton speaks with Sven Kruk, a former German army officer and the CEO of European drone manufacturer Quantum Systems, about Ukraine’s changing air defense needs and what Europe is learning from the battlefield.

Russia is hitting warehouses, workshops, logistics hubs, exhibitions, and trains far from the front line. Many organizations working in Ukraine are not updating their duty of care as fast as the risks are changing, and make decisions on gut instinct. On Sept. 13, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw train that carried more than 200 passengers at Yahodyn station in Ukraine, about 2 kilometers from the Polish border. A train carrying European officials had left the station only

Russia told NATO it would be ready to use nuclear weapons if alliance members attempt to isolate Kaliningrad Oblast, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told the Kyiv Independent Sept. 30.